"Snowy Branches I & II"

These two ATCs were done for my exchange that I was working on. They were each done with different triad colors. I used a photo I had taken when we had snow recently and the bushes outside still had a light icy coating of snow on them.

On this last day of the year I wish everyone everywhere a safe, peaceful, healthy and happy New Year!!! Here's to a wonderful 2009!

100 Things!

With 2009 quickly approaching I thought it was time to do something different. I saw this list on Jeanne Grant's blog and thought it was interesting. She gives credit to several other people who have done the list on their blogs. I have highlighted those things that I've already done.

1. Started your own blog. (Yes!)
2. Slept under the stars. (in Greece and Spain in my younger days)
3. Played in a band. (no musical talent)
4. Visited Hawaii. (much too long ago)
5. Watched a meteor shower. (It was great!)
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland. (a few times)
8. Climbed a mountain. (part of one in Switzerland)
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo. (Heavens, no!)
11. Bungee jumped. (Heavens, no!)
12. Visited Paris. (I was there long enough to have lunch between train rides, and hope to go back for a real visit.)
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea. (from the safety of my car)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15 . Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning. (possibly)
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty. (twice)
18. Grown your own vegetables. (in container pots)
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France. (not yet)
20. Slept on an overnight train. (many times when I toured Europe with my sister and friends in college, but we slept in seats, not a sleeping compartment.)
21 . Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitch hiked. (The most memorable time was from Switzerland to Italy through the mountains.)
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill.
24. Built a snow fort. (more like an igloo)
25. Held a lamb.
26. Gone skinny dipping.
27. Run a marathon.
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice. (our gondolier even sang for us)
29. Seen a total eclipse. (while visiting California)
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset. (MANY times!)
31. Hit a home run. (not very athletic)
32. Been on a cruise. (to Nassau & Bermuda)
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person. (Sadly not yet.)
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
35. Seen an Amish community. (Lancaster, PA)
36. Taught yourself a new language.
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied. (content)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person. (visited Tuscany, but not Pisa)
39. Gone rock climbing.
40. Seen Michelangelo's David. (Yes!)
41. Sung karaoke. (once with 2 other people)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach at moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance. (thankfully, no)
47. Had your portrait painted. (self-portrait several times and someone did a cartoon of me)
48. Gone deep sea fishing. (only fished from a rowboat not far from shore)
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person. (Awesome!)
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling. (Snorkeling in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico)
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business. (sold silk scarves and jewelry I made at craft shows)
58. Taken a martial arts class.
59. Visited Russia.
60. Served in a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Got flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood, platelets, or plasma. (frequently)
65. Gone sky diving.
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp.
67. Bounced a check. (many years ago)
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy. (I had a doll for a long time, but I think it is gone now.)
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten Caviar. (didn't like it)
72. Pieced a quilt. (a very small one)
73. Stood in Times Square. (many times)
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London.
77. Broken a bone. (fractured my finger the summer after 1st grade)
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle. (It wasn't really speeding. We were on the beach in Daytona, Florida.)
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person. (from the North Rim)
80. Published a book.
81. Visited the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car. (several times)
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the newspaper. (dressed in a Chinese costume for an international dinner)
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating. (Do lobsters count?)
88. Had chickenpox. (I think.)
89. Saved someone's life.
90. Sat on a jury. (twice - once we were sequestered overnight)
91. Met someone famous. (Donald Southerland, Michael Feinstein, and the actress who plays Erica Kane on the soap opera.)
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one. (too many)
94. Had a baby.
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a lawsuit.
98. Owned a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee. (Ouch!)
100. Read an entire book in one day. (several times)

Carolina Lowlands

This was the final painting I did on my recent trip. We spent the last few days over Thanksgiving with my brother & his family in Myrtle Beach. The last day we drove about a half hour north to meet a relative for lunch. I believe we were just over the North Carolina border when we found a park where you could walk out a bit over the marshes. We had a little time to spare so I pulled out my supplies. I did this standing up, balancing my paints and small 4 x 6 pad of paper. All was fine until the rain started and I had to get out of the rain. I finished it under the shelter of a gazebo.

Autumn II & Autumn III

These are ATCs done for the "Anything Goes" exchange on WetCanvas. I collected a variety of gourds, pinecones, etc to use as subjects in these tiny works that have been sent to people participating in the exchange.

On the way home from Key West we stopped in St. Augustine, FL. One painting was done of the beach in front of our hotel. The other is Flagler College which is a gorgeous piece of architecture! It was huge and I could only capture a small part of it in one sitting.

More Key West Scenes

Here are two more paintings of our Key West Courtyard. The last painting I tried to do with a waterbrush filled with brown ink and water. I wasn't happy with the way the color was working...there wasn't enough of a variation in the tone, so I didn't try that again. I'm happy with the way it looks, it just wasn't what I was going for.

Key West Water Scenes

These 3 paintings were done of the same area in Key West off Mallory Square. The one with the houses is Sunset Key which I promised myself we would visit on our next trip down. It is such a great spot and the water color is just wonderful.

Key West Residents

I found a tropical garden in Key West that is home to some very colorful birds that were rescued from assorted places. They were fun to sketch and paint, even though they moved around so much and weren't very cooperative. I was amazed by the amount of talking they did. Unfortunately the garden is in danger of having to close and I don't know were these colorful residents will end up if it does.

Key West Atmosphere

These little paintings were done over two days. I started with the sketch of the singer, Michael McLoud, who was playing at Schooner's Wharf in Key West. I added the sketch of the people on the far, top left that same day. The page looked too empty, so we went back for drinks another day and I did the other sketches of people sitting at the tables listening to the music.

Key West Street Scenes

Here are a few more paintings done of places along the streets in Key West. I love that they actually have lime green buildings! The 2nd painting I did while sitting outside the laundromat early in the morning...otherwise there would have been lots of traffic on that street.

Houses & Courtyard Views

These were also done in Key West. The first two are lovely houses I passed on the streets and was able to find seating to paint them. The 3rd and 4th are additional views of the courtyard at The Duval House.

Key West Courtyard Paintings

These were painted in the courtyard of the Key West inn we were staying at. There were so many tropical plants and trees, and a different view from any direction. I usually painted a new scene every morning while having a champagne breakfast in the courtyard with my husband. Sometimes I was able to capture some of the other people staying there too.

Islamorada Paintings

Here are two of my paintings done on my trip to the Florida Keys. The were done in Islamorada, a very laid-back relaxing place. These were done at the resort we stayed at before heading south to Key West. "Cabana Cafe" was done in watercolor and "Relaxation" was done in ink and watercolor.

New Postings Soon!

I have been traveling for the past few weeks and haven't been able to upload photos of my paintings. I'll be home sometime next week and will have lots to post then.

Shelf Collection

I participate in the Scavenger Hunts on WetCanvas. The host gives us a list of 26 items to find and sketch/paint in any medium over 9 days. You can combine a few of the items at a time into a sketch. The challenge this time was to combine all of the items into one painting. It was fun to play around with the composition. I emptied the top of my bookcase and the next shelf (a shelf was one of the items in the hunt) and played around with the arrangement. If you look carefully there are a shelf, doll, leaves, flower pot, pitcher, wooden object (spoon), bottle, glass, vase, flower, and bowl on the top. The shelf has a plate, fruit, something yellow, a stuffed animal, a box, shell, rock, clock, cup, musical instrument (turtle orcarina), something silver (whistle), something brass (bell), books, a tin, and something copper (a battery). It was a challenge but a lot of fun!

Welcoming Porch

This was done in plein air a few weeks ago when it was still warm. I love houses with porches where you can sit and watch the world go by.

Farmer's Market I & II

Both of these are ATCs done for the Wet Canvas "Anything Goes" Exchange. I took a few photos at a farmer's market in Maine, and I really liked these with the roots and long stems.

Sketchcrawl #20

My sister and I did the Worldwide Sketchcrawl on Saturday, which was a rainy day in our area. We started at the Wildlife Center in Wycoff, NJ and sat in the gazebo by the pond. It was just barely drizzling, so we were able to stay dry there.

Next we went to the Hermitage, a historic building in Hohokus, NJ. The building has ivy creeping up the wonderful brickwork. At this point it was raining so we had to find a place with a good view where we could park the car. That took a bit of maneuvering, but we did get a nice view of the side of the building.

Our last stop was Roessler's Nursery in Allendale. I parked facing the pumpkin displays so we could paint from the car. By now it was pouring and the visibility out the front window was limited at times. I had to keep turning on the windshield wipers so we could see more than just a blur. I think I got a good result. The day was a lot of fun, especially sharing the time with my sister, Mickey.

Autumn I

This is another ATC done for my exchange. I collected a few gourds at the farmstand and used them in this one.

Sunflower I

This is a 2.5 x 3.5 ATC that I did for the "Anything Goes" exchange on WetCanvas. I love sunflowers, but haven't had much success painting them larger. I was happy with this tiny one, and have done several more since I painted this one. I'll post those after they are received at their new homes.

Dunes in Autumn

This was painted in plein air at the beach the other day and is 7 x 10. Robert Moses State Park has a wonderful boardwalk that meanders through the dunes to and past the lighthouse. I've painted the lighthouse several times, but wanted to focus on the vegetation on the dunes themselves this time. There are more flowering shrubs at this time of year in yellows and reds. It was a lovely spot.

I'm Hiding

This is 4 x 6 and was done in ink and watercolor for the Weekend Drawing Event on WetCanvas. Someone hosts each weekend and supplies 16 reference photos to pick from. You can do any medium and as many of them as you want. This guy attracted my attention. My thanks to my friend EP (eyepaint) who hosted and supplied the photos.

Autumn Reflections

This was done yesterday on location at the Connetquot State Park here on Long Island. There is a river that runs through the park and this was done up near the fish hatchery. It was my first time in that part of the park but I plan to return. Because I got to the park so late I only did a 4 x 6 of this view, but I plan to go back and paint there again.

Light Above the Dunes

This 4 x 6 was done in plein air and is for the Vacations/Holiday Dreams Exchange on Wet Canvas. That is the Fire Island Lighthouse in the background.

Beach Grasses

As the beach season here is winding down, I'm trying to capture what I can on the days that are warm enough but aren't too windy. This is 7 x 10 done on a day that I was sitting with a building blocking the wind. The far structure is a building with a few exhibits telling about the Fire Island area.

Watercolor Sketches

I went out plein air painting to a local farm to do some sketches for the Scavenger Hunt on WetCanvas. Animals aren't the easiest to do...they don't really stay put. I had some little 6 year old boys watching me do the birds. They wanted me to do all of them. There were probably about 8 of them in the enclosure. I did a goat too but he seems to have wandered off.

Hear the Waves

I love spending time at the beach and the beach grasses against the ocean are a wonderful subject that I return to over and over. This is 7 x 10 done in plein air.

Beach Shade

This is one of my 4 x 6 ink & watercolors done at the beach this summer.

Key West Cottage

I'm moving along on my Vacation exchange paintings. This is 4 x 6 done in ink & watercolor. It is a building I photographed in Key West, Florida. I love the vibrant colors they use on the buildings there and with the tropical foliage it makes a great place to paint.

North Rim View

Here is another 4 x 6 ink and watercolor done for my Vacations exchange on WetCanvas. I used a reference photo that I took (one of hundreds) when I visited the Grand Canyon a few years ago. I find the Grand Canyon a difficult subject to paint. There is too much landscape and it is difficult to convey the depth of the view or make each group of rocks stand apart from the others. I was happy with the way this came out.

Frisco Lady

Don't you just love these San Francisco houses? This was done for the Vacations exchange I'm doing on WetCanvas. This is 4 x 6 done in ink & watercolor from one of my own photos.

Chianti Vineyard

This is 4 x 6 and was done in ink & watercolor for the WetCanvas Vacation exchange. I did it from a photo I had taken of the agriturismo we stayed on in Castellina, Italy.